Beam and tie support



May 14, 1963 T. H. oNEu., JR

BEAM AND TIE SUPPORT Filed July 21, 1959 1. l 1 l 1 u l ATTORNEY y UniteStates 3,089,570 BEAM AND TIE SUPPORT Timothy H. ONeil, Jr., 1648Waverly Way, Baltimore, Md. Filed July 21, 1959, Ser. No. 828,624 4Claims. (Cl. 18988) The present invention relates to a combination beamand tie clip unit for supporting olf-set ceilings.

One object of the invention is to provide a clip that may be formed froma single piece of material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure in which thebeams and ties may be snapped into place, eliminating bolts, rivets,etc. and having means for locking the beam and tie members to the clip.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structure in whichrnost of the fabrication may be done prior to the time the materials aremoved to the jobsite.

Still another object of the invention is tov provide a clip which isadapted for use in both a ceiling in which the beams are concealed andin a ceiling in which the beams are exposed.

While several objects of the invention have been set forth other objectsincluding the uses and advantages of the clip will become more apparentas the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed including itsnovel design, combination, and arrangement of its several parts asillustrated in the accompanying illustrations and described in thefollowing detailed description. In the drawings:

FIG. l is a perspective view of the clip unit showing a beam extendingentirely through the clip and two tie members extending at right anglesto the beam in which the heights of the beam and tie members are thesame.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the clip unit similar to that shown inFlG.,l in which the beam extends completely through the clip with a pairof tie members secured at right angles thereto. In this view the beammember is of greater vertical height than the tie rnembers.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one end of a tie-member which is died out to be inserted into the clip unit.

FIG. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4--4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line S-S of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6 6 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of one edge of one of the tileceiling members showing the manner of attaching the tile to a beam in aclosed system.

In referring to the drawings like numerals are used to designate likeand similar parts throughout the several views.

The clip C is preferably formed from a Hat piece of metal, and is formedinto two vertical wall members 10 and 12 which intersect each otheratright angles. Each wall is formed of two side members 14 and 16, and 1Sand 20. These side wall members are so spaced apart as to form a slottherebetween of such width as to receive the vertical portion of thebeam or tie member. Extending upwardly from the bottom edge of eachvertical wall and parallel thereto are horizontal channels or beads 24and 26. An example of these channels is shown in cross section in FIGS.4 and 5 and are provided with an abrupt step at 24. These steps are forengaging turn down beads or lips 30 and 48 formed on the upper edges ofthe members 27, 32, 33, 34 and 35. The edges of the wall members areopen on the outer and bottom edges below the channel and are unitedalong their upper edges 3,089,570 Patented May 14, 1963 41 above thebead, which will allow the clip to be snapped into place over thevertical center rib of both the beam and beam ties.

The wall 10` is shorter in height than wall 12, that is, its bottom edgeis a horizontal plane extending above the bottom edge of wall 12. Thisis to provide for using a short vertical wall tie or beam member in wall10', as shown in FlGURE l which allows room for the tiling to extendbeneath the ties.

The walls of the clip are provided with small cut-out portions as shownat 36 for receiving a bumped out portion 38 formed in the beam and tiemembers, to prevent these members from being moved laterally relative tothe clip. Both walls 10 and 12 are provided with a tab 40, which may bepressed through an opening 39* in the tie or beam member and bent downover the opposite surface of the wall as shown in FIG. 6 for locking thetie or bea-m member to the clip unit. The clip unit is also providedwith a vert-ical tab 46 similar to the tab 40, which may be bentoutwardly over the ceiling tile, or board to prevent lifting of the tileor board upwardly from the beams supporting the same.

The shape of the walls of the unit C is in the form of a triangle, theapex being at the top having adjacent the apex an aperture 43 throughwhich a wire or support 42` extend from one side to the other of someceilings, or

tie into other clips for wider ceilings.

In FIG. 1 there is illustrated what is as, -a concealed ceiling. ber 32is the supporting beam for the ceiling as shown at 50 which is in theform of acoustic tiling with an edge slot 52, as shown in FIG. 7. Thisbeam extends entirely under the clip C, and the tie members 33` and 35are clipped in the Wall 10 on each side of the beam. The tiling whensupported on the beams 32, as just described extends beneath the tiemembers 33 and 35. As the tie members 33 and 3S are of the same verticalheight as known in the trade the beam and the channel 26 is nearer thetop of the clip" than the channel 24, therefore, the lower surfacesrofthe lower horizontal portions 33' and 35 of the tie members are abovethe upper surface of the tiling 50` and do not interfere with the tilingbeing positioned on the beams 32. The lower edges 50' of the tiling arelonger than the upper edges 50 which will allow the lower edges to cometogether beneath the horizontal portion 32' and conceal the supportingbeams.

In FIG. 2 there is illustrated what is known in the trade as, an opensystem. The member 34 is the beam and is illustrated as having a greatervertical height than the two tie members 27 and 31 which are abuttedagainst the beam as shown at 29. In this arrangement the horizontaledges 27', 31 and 34' of the beam and of the tie members are in the sameplane, and in this instance the tiling or sheets are laid upon the uppersurfaces of the portions 27', 31' and 34 as shown in dotted lines at 23in FIG. 2. As the ceiling members 23l are supported on top of the beamsand ties, the horizontal portions of the beams and ties are exposed. Inthis form the wind or vibration sometimes has a tendency to lift theceiling units, and it is desirable to hold these ceiling units down incontact with their supporting elements, therefore, means are provided onthe clip for holding them down. This hold down -means is in the form ofa tab 46 and is bent over as shown at 46' in contact with the uppersurface of the ceiling unit 23.

The beams are generally referred to as the members In this illustrationthe mem-V carrying the ceiling units in a closed system as shown in FIG.1 and are the members that extend entirely through the clip unit;however, in the open system, as shown in FIG. 2, both the beam and tiemembers carry the ceiling. In this instance the member with the highvertical section is the beam and the abutting members 27 and 31 are thetie members, the tie members abut against the beam and support the beamagainst lateral movement.

In assembling the clips, beams, ties, etc. rnost of the cutting tolength and fabrication of the beams and ties may be done before thematerial is moved to the job site. The ceiling area is laid out and theclip units are suspended in proper position. The beams are pressedupwardly into the slots between the wall members 14 and 16 until theturn down portion 30 or 48, as the case may be, is received into thechannel 24 or 26 to the point where the edges 30' and 48 of therespective beams and tie members engage the lower portions of thechannels 24' and 26', as illustrated for the edge 30 in FIGS. 4 and 5.The bulged portion 38 which is formed in both the beam and tie will fallwithin the cutout 36 of the clip to prevent the beam or tie fromhorizontal movement relative to the clip, and the tab 40 is swungthrough the opening 39 locking the side walls of the clip against movingthe beam or tie downwardly out of the clip to prevent the releasing ofthe beam and tie members from the clip when they are assembled. If aclosed system is to be set up, the beams and ties are of the same heightas previously described, the tie members 33 and 3S in FIG. 1 areinserted in substantially the same manner.

This novel clip provides a very practical, economical and rigidconstruction and while a particular form has been illustrated anddescribed in detail it is not intended as a limitation as the scope ofthe invention is best defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A clip for securing a joint between an extended beam member and a tiebeam member for a suspended ceiling, each of said beam members being ofinverted T cross sectional form in which the vertical portion of the Tis provided with an enlarged bead extending along its upper edge, theclip comprising, two vertically xed walls intersecting each other atright angles, each wall comprising two adjacent parallel portionsextending from the top to the bottom of the clip, the bottom edge of oneWall being in a horizontal plane positioned above the bottom edge of theother wall, each wall having at least one continuous horizontal channelformed therein throughout the entire length of the wall and atpredetermined distances from their respective bottom edges andpositioned intermediately of the top and bottom of the clip forreceiving the beads carried by the beams, the channel in one wall beingin a horizontal plane above the channel in the other wall, means carriedby the said walls and positioned between the channels and their bottomedges for engaging the beams for holding the same against lateralmovement relative to the clip and means for supporting the clip.

2. In a clip as claimed in claim l in which the clip is provided withmeans between the channel and the lower edge of the clip for lockingtogether the opposite portions of the side walls of the clip forpreventing the dislodgement of the beads from the channels.

3. In a clip as claimed in claim Z in which the locking means comprise atab formed from and carried by one of the side wall portions adapted tobe passed through an opening in the beam and an opening in the oppositeside wall portion, the tab being of such length as to extend entirelythrough the said openings and engage the opposite side wall portion.

4. In a clip as claimed in claim 1 in which the adjacent side portionsof the walls of the clip are formed with a springing action againstseparation at least adjacent their bottom edges, whereby the verticalcentral sections of the beams including the beads may be moved upwardlybetween the lower portions of the side walls of the clip against thespring of the side Wall portions until the bead reaches the channel inthe clip, whereby the wall portions of the clip will spring back to gripthe said vertical por tion and bead of the beam member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 28,030Worthen Apr. 24, 1860 1,412,163 Buckingham Apr. 11, 1922 1,893,480Mitchell Ian. 3, 1933 2,710,679 Bibb et al. June 14, 1955 2,734,126Kruger Feb. 7, 1956 2,816,623 Wong Dec. 17, 1957 2,830,683 Griith Apr.l5, 1958 2,942,704 Stubbs June 28, 1960 2,963,132 Rosenbaum Dec. 6, 1960FOREIGN PATENTS 39,336 Switzerland Feb. 20, 1907 309,776 Germany Dec.16, 1918

1. A CLIP FOR SECURING A JOINT BETWEEN AN EXTENDED BEAM MEMBER AND A TIEBEAM MEMBER FOR A SUSPENDEE CEILING, EACH OF SAID BEAM MEMBERS BEING OFINVERTED T CROSS SECTIONAL FORM IN WHICH THE VERTICAL PORTION OF THE TIS PROVIDED WITH AN ENLARGED BEAD EXTENDING ALONG ITS UPPER EDGE, THECLIP COMPRISING, TWO VERTICALLY FIXED WALLS INTERSECTING EACH OTHER ATRIGHT ANGLES, EACH WALL COMPRISING TWO ADJACENT PARALLEL PORTIONSEXTENDING FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM OF THE CLIP, THE BOTTOM EDGE OF ONEWALL BEING IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE POSITIONED ABOVE THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THEOTHER WALL, EACH WALL HAVING AT LEAST ONE CONTINUOUS HORIZONTAL CHANNELFORMED THEREIN